loc6179
only two days after the lazy search of his home he left his country for good. He knew what was what.
Daily Archives: March 30, 2016
80% done with The World of Yesterday
A funny tale could be told about the people two blocks over from Franz Ferdinand’s assassination as they ate lunch and knew nothing of the biggest event in world history.
80% done with The World of Yesterday
loc6118
He was actually in Vienna during the three days of revolution, but he saw nothing. And isn’t that how it would be for most people in history? Cities are big and events like this, though far reaching, are limited in geography. Thus highlights how little the rest of Europe cared about Austria at the time
79% done with The World of Yesterday
“It was the self deception that we practice because of reluctance to abandon our accustomed life.”
78% done with The World of Yesterday
loc6003
I wonder if there is anger towards Zweig about his collaboration with Strauss on the Opera? Strauss was, after all, working with the Nazis, and though his justifications are perfectly valid, it’s still complicated. Zweig, though 2 degrees removed could have walked away from the project, but he explains himself quite well as why he didn’t . Too bad art has to suffer like this.
82% done with War and Peace
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“Petya realized for a moment that this Tikhon had killed a man, [and] he felt uneasy.” This is the shame about Petya, he’s bright and observant but too eager to please and that will kill him. Such wasted life. And yet someone like Tikhon can kill and kill and never be badly hurt. But we do get quite the cross section of Russia out here in the forest as they raid the French.
82% done with War and Peace
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Tikhon Shcherbaty is a fun character. He’s good natured, but can drive his ax right into a mans head, then carve a spoon with the same ax. And he has no real beef with the French, it’s just a game for him – there’s no nationality, just the sport of it. And you can see how effective guerrilla warfare is when carried out by men thus skilled. That’s why Tolstoy is showing us, real war, real horror. Poor Petya.
82% done with War and Peace
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I love Tolstoy’s description of the rain and the forest. You can feel it soaking you right through the page. And then little Petya comes riding out of all that to give orders to Denisov. Tolstoy plays this true to life, too as he first has Petya try to be a professional officer, but can’t because he is with his friend now. For as gloomy as the weather is, this is a warm and merry meeting, though dangerous.
82% done with War and Peace
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Denisov and Dolokhov are back in the story. We’ve had a glimpse of Dolokhov earlier with his plans, but seeing Denisov with him tells us all we need to know about what Denisov has been up to and his state of mind. Dolokhov could well use a man like Denisov: impetuous and having something to prove and nothing to lose. But we feel bad for Denisov because of what we know about Dolokhov. Still though, exciting!